DEFACED POSTAGE STAMPS.

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13651, 19 August 1916, Page 7

DEFACED POSTAGE STAMPS.

UNUSUAL CASE IN COURT. On Friday the.-Wellington .Magistrate's Court was. engaged with the hearing qi' an unusual charge brought under Section 87 of the Post and Telegraph Act, I'M. The defendant (states the Post) was Miss K M. Allan, who was charged with fraudulently affixing upon a postal packet —a letter —a stamp which had ,bccn removed from another postal packet, The defendant was represented by Mr R. Kennedy, and pleaded not guilty. Inspector Hendrey stated that on April 7 last a letter addressed to Miss Myers, Rotorua, was received at the General Post Office in Wellington, bearing a stamp .which had already been wed. When questioned the defendant denied, the-allegation. Numerous Post Office employees, including the Chief Postmaster (Mr A. f. Dryden) were called by the prosecution to show that-the stamp had already been used,' -Mr Dryden stated that the- letter in question was brought under his notice, ami the stamp was examined by him under a powerful magnifying glass, There was no doubt that the stamp had been previously used. 1 Evidence was given ,by Miss Allan, who denied having wilfully placed upon the ■ letter a' defaced stamp, knowing it to have been defaced. She had been given four stamps by her employer and this was one of .the four. In answer to Inspector Hendrey, witness stated she was positive the' stamp was a clean one when affixed to the envelope. The Magistrate (Mr D. G. A. Cooper) said the only question for the Court to decide was as to whether there was fraudulent intent on defendant's p;rt, Evidence had been brought by the defence in Miss Allan's favour, and he would give her the benefit of the doubt that she had no intention of wilfully defrauding the Government. The information was accordingly dismissed,